


Greetings without Farewells

by HewerOfCaves



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Brotherly Love, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Kid Fic, Years of the Trees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HewerOfCaves/pseuds/HewerOfCaves
Summary: “Here comes your little admirer,” Makalaurë said.Maitimo snorted. “He will just come, say hello and flee. Observe.”Maedhros, being a good elder brother and cousin, watches over little Celegorm and Fingon. Maglor helps.
Relationships: Fingon | Findekáno & Maedhros | Maitimo, Maedhros | Maitimo & Maglor | Makalaurë
Comments: 24
Kudos: 90





	Greetings without Farewells

**Author's Note:**

  * For [holy_milk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy_milk/gifts).



> I have no idea why this got so long. I have no idea if this is any good. I just know that I enjoyed writing this a lot and I hope others might also enjoy reading.
> 
> In human terms, Maedhros is an older teenager, Maglor is a younger teenager, Fingon is about five and Celegorm about four. 
> 
> As this takes place in Valinor, I used their Quenya names.  
> Maedhros - Maitimo, Nelyo  
> Maglor - Makalaurë, Kano  
> Fingon - Findekáno  
> Celegorm - Tyelkormo, Turko  
> Fingolfin - Nolofinwë  
> Fëanor - Fëanáro
> 
> Not beta'd, not a native speaker.

“They are nearly here, stop prettying yourself up and come down,” Maitimo cried, opening Makalaurë’s door.

Makalaurë stopped fussing with his hair and glared at his brother. “Mother said we must look presentable.”

“This will do,” Maitimo said, tucking an unruly curl behind his brother’s ear, “We are going to be stuck with watching the kids anyway and one can never stay presentable when watching Turko.”

Makalaurë gave a long-suffering sigh and followed Maitimo to the garden, where their parents were already welcoming Finwë and Nolofinwë’s family. Maitimo expected the dinner to be a little awkward with neither his aunts, nor Arafinwë being there to act as a buffer, but both Fëanáro and Nolofinwë seemed in good spirits, so there probably wouldn’t be any incidents, especially with Finwë present.

After everyone was sufficiently hugged and asked about their wellbeing, Nolofinwë and Anairë even stopped to chat with Nerdanel and Fëanáro, while Finwë was trying to hold a conversation with a wriggling Tyelkormo.

“How long do you think it will be until Turko headbutts Grandfather?” Makalaurë asked Maitimo.

They were slowly moving away from the adults and the kids and closer to the table. The idea of discreetly snatching something off it was looking more and more tempting with each minute the adults were engrossed in conversation.

“He will try very soon, but I think Grandfather can dodge it,” Maitimo said.

“I bet he can’t.”

“You always lose your bets.”

“I won’t lose this one.”

But they weren’t meant to know if it was true because, at that moment, Nerdanel took Tyelkormo away from his grandfather, shushing him and whispering something in his ear. Finwë continued cooing, his face still too close to the danger zone. Fëanáro was deep in conversation with Anairë, though Nolofinwë looked a little bored. Little Findekáno, who had refused to talk to anyone up to that point, peeked from behind his mother’s legs and beamed, noticing Maitimo. His look determined, he let go of Anairë’s skirts and started walking towards the table.

“Here comes your little admirer,” Makalaurë said.

Maitimo snorted. “He will just come, say hello and flee. Observe.”

Findekáno approached them with careful steps and stopped in front of Maitimo.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello,” Maitimo answered.

Findekáno grinned from ear to ear, turned on his heels and went away skipping. Makalaurë burst out laughing. Maitimo waited until Findekáno was safely out of earshot to do the same.

“Weird kid, that one,” Makalaurë said.

“Look who is talking, the weirdest kid ever begotten or awakened.”

“I am not a kid!”

“If you say so.”

Makalaurë said a very rude word under his breath.

“Oh, now that you said that, I realize my mistake, you are very mature,” Maitimo said.

Makalaurë muttered an even ruder word and elbowed his brother, but Maitimo just laughed.

\---

Both Maitimo and Makalaurë were eating fast enough that their mother shot them a _look_. They slowed down but only to a barely acceptable velocity because they knew that it wouldn’t take Tyelkormo long to start squirming in Nerdanel’s lap and demanding to be released outside. Outside, in this case, meant the wood just behind the garden.

Sure enough, soon he was grizzling and Nerdanel had to let him go. Maitimo and Makalaurë shared a look of despair, but their mother firmly told Tyelkormo to play in the garden, and he ran away shouting.

“Finish your dinner, boys,” Nerdanel told her elder sons, “He is not going to be content with the garden for long.”

Maitimo and Makalaurë took it as permission to stuff their faces, especially when the conversation at the table resumed. Anairë was telling about her latest trip to Alqualondë and how she had managed to get lost in the city, even though all the streets took either to the harbor or to the palace. She was so engrossed in her tale that Findekáno had to pull her sleeve a few times until she looked down.

Findekáno stared at her with big eyes and tilted his head. Anairë glanced at her husband with a fond smile.

“All right, you can go and play with Tyelkormo,” Nolofinwë said, “But no fighting.”

“Promise!” Findekáno exclaimed and ran off to join Tyelkormo, who was intently watching the ground, most likely looking for earthworms.

“He has taken up the habit to pick up fights,” Nolofinwë said by way of explanation.

“He is just a very stubborn child,” Finwë said with an indulgent smile.

“I wonder where he has gotten it from,” Anairë muttered, looking pointedly at Nolofinwë.

“Makalaurë also loved to pick up fights when he was Findekáno’s age,” Fëanáro said, “Father, remember how he headbutted you when you pinched his cheek?”

Makalaurë groaned. “We have finished eating,” he announced, “So we can take the children outside.”

“To the wood?” Anairë asked, looking a little concerned.

“No need to worry, Tyelkormo plays there all the time and the boys will be with them,” Nerdanel reassured her.

“All right,” Anairë said, “Watch over my son, will you, Maitimo?”

“Of course,” Maitimo said.

Anairë called Findekáno to her, she and Nolofinwë spoke to him quietly and then he grinned and ran to the wood with Tyelkormo, followed by Maitimo and Makalaurë.

“Race you to that tree and back,” Tyelkormo exclaimed, and he and Findekáno took off, darting through the trees and across a small clearing, where Tyelkormo usually played.

“Don’t run too fast!” Maitimo cried, quickening his pace, but as soon as he reached the rocking chair at the edge of the clearing he plopped down on it, grinning triumphantly. “The chair is mine!”

“Not fair!” Makalaurë bristled, “I didn’t know we were racing too.”

Maitimo shrugged. “You get the tree stump because you offered to watch the children.”

“Father was about to tell my every embarrassing childhood story, what was I supposed to do?” Makalaurë said.

Maitimo had to concede that his brother had a point but he didn’t concede the chair.

“All right,” he said, “You are in charge of Turko, I am in charge of Findekáno.”

Makalaurë frowned. “Why am I in charge of Turko? He never listens to me!”

“Fine, you are in charge of Turko and I am in charge of Findekáno and you.”

“No way! I am old enough not to wet my pants.”

“Kano!”

“What? I want to be in charge of Findekáno. I doubt he will be as much trouble as Turko.”

“No. You will just start daydreaming and forget about him. I won’t have Nolofinwë’s son break a bone or drown in a pond in our land. Father will never let me hear the end of it.”

Makalaurë crossed his arms on his chest and glared at his brother but didn’t keep arguing and sat down on the large tree stump near the rocking chair. He took out a knife and a half-made flute from his pockets and started working on it. Maitimo rocked on the chair with his head thrown back, the fading golden light illuminating his face. He loved sitting with the adults and participating in their conversations, but he didn’t really mind watching the children, especially when he got the rocking chair. He loved listening to the sounds of the wood, to the faint voices and laughter reaching the clearing from the house, to Makalaurë humming under his breath and to Tyelkormo shrieking with joy. The latter’s voice was approaching rapidly, joined by Findekáno’s laughter.

“I won!” Findekáno cried.

“No, I got here faster!” Tyelkormo objected.

“You were behind me all the time. You lost!”

“None of you lost, you were equally fast,” Maitimo said.

“Were you watching?” Tyelkormo asked doubtfully.

“Sure,” Maitimo said. Makalaurë snorted, not looking up from his flute. “I _was_ watching and I saw that with my own eyes,” Maitimo said pointedly.

“Fine, we both won,” Findekáno said reluctantly.

Tyelkormo whooped and jumped on Makalaurë’s tree trunk, looking curiously at his work. Findekáno quietly approached Maitimo.

“Hello,” he said.

Maitimo held back his laughter and looked down at his cousin. “Hello,” he answered with a smile.

He expected Findekáno to run away again, but this time he didn’t.

“Mama said I should listen to you,” he said seriously.

“So she did. Are you going to?”

“Yes!”

“Thank you, Findekáno.”

Findekáno did run away then but not too far. He hid behind a tree nearby, peeked out and giggled. Maitimo laughed softly and turned his gaze to Makalaurë and Tyelkormo.

“Don’t go so close to the knife, Turko,” he warned.

“Pfft,” Tyelkormo said and jumped down from the trunk. “Let’s go see the ants, Findekáno,” he called, darting by the tree his cousin was hiding behind.

Findekáno ran after him.

“Let’s hope he will tire himself out enough to let us sleep a little longer,” Makalaurë said.

“I have always admired your optimism,” Maitimo said.

Makalaurë threw a wooden chip at him and laughed when it stuck in his hair.

Tyelkormo and Findekáno lay on the ground for a while, whispering excitedly, but soon they apparently got tired of watching the ants because they jumped up and starting running back. They stopped in front of a high elm tree. Tyelkormo looked at it appreciatively and nodded. Findekáno came up to Maitimo.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hi,” Maitimo answered, shooting an annoyed look at Makalaurë, who was laughing again.

“I am going to climb that tree,” Findekáno said, pointing to the elm.

Maitimo raised a brow. “Are you sure you can do it?”

“I can! Tyelkormo says he does it every day and he’s younger than me.”

“He does, huh? Very well, but be careful. I will be watching.”

“All right!”

Findekáno dashed back to Tyelkormo.

“Whoever gets to the top first, wins!” Tyelkormo yelled and immediately started climbing up with agility that never ceased to surprise his elder brothers.

“Careful!” Maitimo called, leaning forward on his chair to look at the boys.

Tyelkormo laughed triumphantly when he reached the top branch. “You are too slow!” he told Findekáno.

“I am not!” Findekáno said, looking affronted.

“I am way faster,” Tyelkormo said, puffing out his chest, “Bet I can climb down faster than you.”

Findekáno chewed his lip. “Well, I am not going to climb down,” he said loudly, “I am going to jump down.”

“Then I am going to jump down too,” Tyelkormo said.

Maitimo leaped to his feet. “No one moves!” he shouted, “Come, Makalaurë!”

Makalaurë, who had been eyeing the rocking chair with renewed interest, got up with a sigh and followed his brother.

“You two climb down slowly and carefully,” Maitimo ordered, standing under the elm, “If anyone tries to jump, we are going home immediately. Mother and Father will ground you, Turko, do you want to stay in your room for ages?”

That convinced Tyelkormo. He and Findekáno climbed down the tree.

“Let’s try again, you will see I can win,” Findekáno told Tyelkormo, “This tree is just slippery. Let’s climb that one.”

“You will not climb anything until you both promise me you are going to be careful and you are not going to jump down from trees,” Maitimo said sternly.

“We promise,” the boys said in unison.

Maitimo looked first into Findekáno’s eyes, who blushed but grinned at him, and then into Tyelkormo’s, who stared back insolently.

“Very well, I will be watching,” he warned, then turned to Makalaurë. “Race you to the chair, Kano.”

Makalaurë sputtered and started running but it was too late. Maitimo reached the chair first and fell into it, breathless with laughter.

“You are no better than Turko,” Makalaurë said, sitting back on the tree stump, “I keep asking for another chair here, but no one in this family ever listens to me.”

“It will be no fun with two chairs,” Maitimo said.

“I would like to see you repeat those words when I get to sit there.”

Maitimo answered only with an infuriating grin and Makalaurë sent another piece of wood flying into his hair. Maitimo didn’t pay attention, busy watching Tyelkormo and Findekáno, who seemed determined to climb up and down every tree they could find. Tyelkormo won more often than not and his bright laughter echoed in the clearing, again and again, making Maitimo smile. 

The boys were sitting on a low branch when Maitimo thought he heard his name in their conversation. Findekáno jumped down from the branch and so did Tyelkormo, but he remained hanging from it, while Findekáno approached and stood near Maitimo’s chair.

“Hello,” he said.

“Hello, Findekáno.”

Findekáno stared at him for a moment, chewing on his lip, and Maitimo waited patiently.

“Tyelkormo says you can stand on your head,” Findekáno said.

“Tyelkormo should learn to mind his business,” Maitimo said.

“But can you?”

“Yes. Want to see?”

“Yes!”

“All right.” Maitimo got to his feet. “But you have to guard my chair, so Makalaurë doesn’t steal it. Deal?”

Findekáno nodded, while Makalaurë puffed his cheeks in annoyance and demonstratively turned his back to the chair.

Maitimo helped Findekáno get on the chair, moved a little farther, then knelt on the ground and raised his lower body up, supporting himself on his head and arms. Findekáno gasped and clapped. Maitimo regulated his breathing and suddenly started moving on his hands to the chair. Findekáno cried out in surprise and burst into uncontrollable giggles. Maitimo lowered his body down, jumped to his feet and bowed, grinning. Makalaurë rolled his eyes but he was smiling too.

“Do you want to do it?” Maitimo asked Findekáno. His cousin stared at him in wonder. “Come, I will help you,” Maitimo said.

Findekáno slid down from the chair and approached Maitimo hesitantly.

“Put your hands on the ground,” Maitimo instructed, “Yes, that’s fine. Are your hands steady? Good. I am going to lift up your legs and you lean on your palms. You won’t fall, I will hold you. Ready?”

“Yes,” Findekáno said.

Maitimo carefully raised his cousin’s little legs in the air. “Now walk,” he said.

Findekáno moved his hands and crossed the short way from the chair to the trunk. He was panting with exertion and laughing. Tyelkormo, who had left his tree having judged hand walking more interesting, joined his laughter.

“Me too!” he cried, “My turn now! My turn, Nelyo!”

“Fine, fine, don’t yell,” Maitimo said, “Findekáno, I’m lowering you down.”

Findekáno lay on the grass on his back, his grin wide, watching as Maitimo helped Tyelkormo walk on his hands.

“I’m letting go!” Tyelkormo shouted suddenly.

“Don’t—”

Makalaurë’s yell was interrupted by Tyelkormo’s delighted cry, as Maitimo quickly pulled him higher by the legs, then put him down next to Findekáno.

“Again!” Tyelkormo demanded.

“You could have broken your face!” said Maitimo, who had paled a little, “No more.”

“Again, Nelyo!” Tyelkormo said, frowning.

“No. Go and play with Findekáno, but if you pull something like this again, we are going home.”

Tyelkormo stomped away, dragging Findekáno with him. Maitimo shook his head and slumped on the rocking chair, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, Makalaurë was standing in front of him with an uncharacteristic sheepish grin.

“What, is it your turn to walk on your hands?” Maitimo asked.

Makalaurë shrugged. “Why not?”

“Seriously?”

“No, but as retribution for stealing the rocking chair, you can teach me how to stand on my head.”

Maitimo smiled. “Fine, that’s fair.”

He helped Makalaurë to take the right position, then held his legs up.

“Take deep breaths and try to keep yourself upright,” he said.

“Don’t let go!” Makalaurë said.

“I won’t, I’m holding you. Keep your arms steady. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you fall.” He allowed Makalaurë to adjust, then loosened his grip a little. “Look at you, you are almost doing it by yourself.”

“Am I?”

“You sure are.”

Makalaurë tried to crane his neck to see and lost his balance, but Maitimo caught him and lowered him down slowly.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes, but my neck hurts.”

Maitimo rubbed his brother’s neck gently. “We will try again later,” he promised.

He sat back in the chair and looked for the children. They were on the opposite side of the clearing and seemed to be arguing. Maitimo frowned, sitting up straighter.

“What is going on there?” he cried.

“Nelyo!” Tyekormo hollered, “Count how fast I can run.”

That was a familiar game. “All right,” Maitimo said, “Ready? Go!”

Tyelkormo sprinted across the clearing and came to a halt near the rocking chair. “How fast?” he asked, catching his breath.

“Twelve,” Maitimo said.

“Twelve? It’s better than last time, right? How fast was I last time?”

“Eleven,” Makalaurë said.

Tyelkormo looked at him, his eyes wide and hurt.

“He’s joking, it was fourteen, you did better this time,” Maitimo hurried to assure him, glaring at Makalaurë.

Tyelkormo’s smile returned. “Twelve,” he shouted at Findekáno, “You will lose. Again!”

“I can run faster,” Findekáno cried, his voice trembling a little, “Just you wait.”

“Nelyo, count,” Tyelkormo demanded, “Findekáno, start!”

Findekáno began running. Tyelkormo started skulking away towards his cousin. Maitimo looked at him suspiciously but didn’t think anything of it until Tyelkormo stuck out a leg and sent Findekáno sprawling on the ground.

“You lost!” he cried and ran away, disappearing behind the trees.

“Oh no,” Maitimo said.

“Your charge is about to bawl his eyes out,” Makalaurë said matter-of-factly, “You’d better run to him.”

“And you’d better go and find Turko, he has to apologize,” Maitimo said, walking quickly to Findekáno, who had sat up and was looking around in shock.

Maitimo sat in front of him. “Hello,” he said.

Findekáno turned to him, his chin trembling threteningly. Maitimo looked him over. He wasn’t bleeding and had only a few light scratches on his arms, but he could have injured his legs.

“Are you hurt?” Maitimo asked.

Findekáno shook his head, wiping away tears from his cheeks.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I lost,” Findekáno said, looking moments away from full-on sobbing.

“That’s because Tyelkormo cheated. Makalaurë will find him and he will apologize. Will that make it better?”

Findekáno shrugged.

“How about a hug?” Maitimo asked, opening his arms.

Findekáno hesitated just for a moment before snuggling against Maitimo’s chest. “Better,” he muttered.

“Oh, is that so?” Maitimo rose to his feet with Findekáno clinging to him. “How about this?”

He held Findekáno tightly and started spinning. Findekáno shrieked and laughed, all hurt forgotten. Maitimo kept at it for minutes and then collapsed on his chair, breathless.

“How are you? Is your head spinning?” he asked Findekáno.

“No, everything else is,” his cousin answered, his arms locked around Maitimo’s neck.

“He’s going to barf,” said Makalaurë, who had returned and was standing at a reasonable distance.

“No, he won’t. Will you, Findekáno?”

The kid shook his head under Maitimo’s chin.

“He says he won’t,” Maitimo informed Makalaurë, “What are you doing here? Did you find Turko?”

“He is hiding away on his tree. I am not about to climb it.”

“No, but you will sit under the tree to wait for him.”

“Nelyoooo…”

“No whining, he is your charge. I will come too when Findekáno decides to release me.”

“Fine,” Makalaurë said and went away grumbling.

“I won’t,” Findekáno said very quietly.

“What?”

“I won’t release you. I am going to stay here.”

“Are you? And how long is it going to be?”

“Long. Until the Mingling or-or forever.”

“Forever, huh? That’s a very long time.”

“Mhmm,” Findekáno said sleepily. He shifted, getting more comfortable in Maitimo’s arms. “Uncle Arafinwë wanted to take me to Alqualondë,” he said in a hushed tone as if he was confessing a great secret. “But I said I didn’t want to.”

“Why? Don’t you like it in Alqualondë?” Maitimo asked.

“I do… but if went there, how would I come here?”

“Right, you couldn’t.”

Findekáno nodded solemnly.

“When you grow up a little, we will go to Alqualondë together,” Maitimo said.

Findekáno raised his head. “Really?” he whispered.

“Of course. Not just to Alqualondë, to other places too. We travel a lot. You can join.”

Findekáno looked at him with his eyes shining and his mouth open. Then he yawned widely. Maitimo laughed.

“You have exhausted yourself with all that running and climbing, haven’t you?” he asked.

Findekáno shook his head but not a minute later he was already fast asleep. Maitimo remained on his rocking chair for a while, watching how the glow in the air slowly changed from golden to silver. Makalaurë and Tyelkormo hadn’t returned yet, and he was getting a little worried. Carefully standing up, so as not to wake up Findekáno, he went in the direction Makalaurë had gone in and soon saw his brother bent over his flute, sitting under a tall black poplar. He raised his head when he heard Maitimo’s footsteps and snorted seeing Findekáno in his arms.

Maitimo shrugged. “He fell asleep,” he said, “Why are you still here? Where is Turko?”

Makalaurë pointed upwards. Tyelkormo was sitting on the highest branch of the poplar and didn’t look like he intended to join his brothers and cousin on the ground any time soon.

Maitimo sighed. “Tyelkormo, come down,” he said calmly.

“No!”

“Don’t make me make Makalaurë come after you.”

“What? Why me?” Makalaurë asked indignantly.

“Kano can’t climb trees,” Tyelkormo said, laughing so loudly that Findekáno shifted and grumbled against Maitimo’s chest.

“I can too!” Makalaurë cried, jumping to his feet. Maitimo shushed him, and he repeated quieter, “I can climb trees, I just don’t like it.”

“I know you can,” Maitimo assured him, then looked up again. “Turko, come down now, apologize to Findekáno and I will convince Mother to let you play in the garden instead of grounding you.”

“No! I want to play in the wood,” Tyelkormo yelled.

“If you don’t come down right now, I will tell Father to teach you forge work.”

“No!” Tyelkormo said, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I am going to talk to Father,” Maitimo said, turning his back to the tree and pretending to walk away.

“Nelyo, wait! I’m coming down,” Tyelkormo cried.

He slid down the tree and stood in front of his eldest brother, a stubborn frown still on his face. Maitimo raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

“I’m sorry for tripping you, Findekáno,” Tyelkormo muttered.

Findekáno, who had been woken up by the yells, nodded.

“Good, now we are going back home,” Maitimo said, “It is late already.”

They started walking, and Findekáno raised his head and whispered in Maitimo’s ear, “I don’t want to go back yet.”

“No?” Maitimo said, “What do you want to do then?”

“I want to stay here with you,” Findekáno admitted.

“You are going to fall asleep as soon as I sit on the rocking chair,” Maitimo said.

“No! I won’t, I promise,” Findekáno said and fell asleep before Maitimo sat on the rocking chair.

Maitimo sent Makalaurë and Tyelkormo home and stayed on his chair with Findekáno sleeping in his arms. His little cousin woke up a while later and looked around with huge, confused eyes, then smiled when his gaze fell on Maitimo.

"Hello," Maitimo said.

“You stayed,” Findekáno said, amazement coloring his voice.

“Of course I did. Are you ready to head back now?” Findekáno looked hesitant, and Maitimo grinned. “Not yet, huh? But your parents are probably wondering where you are. How about this? Let’s take a walk and then we will just have to go back. Sounds good?”

“Yes,” Findekáno said and wrapped his arms around Maitimo’s neck.

“I see,” Maitimo said, “The walking part referred only to me. Well, so be it.”

He had barely taken a few steps when he noticed Anairë and Nolofinwë walking towards him.

“And here your parents are, Findekáno,” he said. “Findekáno? Have you fallen asleep again?”

“Yes,” Findekáno whispered.

Maitimo chuckled and approached his aunt and uncle, who gave the child in his arms an identical fond and exasperated look.

“I see he has found a new victim. How long have you been carrying him, Maitimo?” Nolofinwë asked.

Maitimo laughed softly. “It is no trouble. He is not very heavy.”

“But he is very clingy,” Anairë said, “Come, Findekáno, it’s time to go.”

Findekáno’s arms tightened around Maitimo’s neck but he gave no other sign of having heard his mother.

“Findekáno, we are going home,” Nolofinwë said.

His son only hid his head under Maitimo’s curls.

“You know that we can see you even if you cannot see us, don’t you?” Nolofinwë said.

Findekáno’s ears folded into two tiny cabbages. Maitimo tapped on one of them, making Findekáno giggle. Maitimo looked up at his uncle and aunt.

“He has promised to stay here forever and I am afraid he is not backing down from his word,” he said.

“Is that so, Findekáno?” Nolofinwë asked amused.

Maitimo tapped on the small cabbage again and it opened like a leaf.

“You should not ignore your parents,” Maitimo whispered.

Reluctantly, Findekáno turned to face them.

“Do we finally have your attention?” Anairë asked, “We are going home, sweetheart. Are you coming?”

Findekáno rubbed his eyes sleepily and shook his head. His parents looked at each other.

“I want to stay here,” Findekáno said stubbornly.

“You have troubled Maitimo enough,” Anairë said.

“Honestly, he has been no trouble,” Maitimo repeated, “And he may stay here if he wants.”

Findekáno’s ears perked up. “May I?” he asked excitedly, looking from Maitimo to his parents.

“Maitimo, wouldn’t your parents mind?” Nolofinwë asked carefully.

“I am quite sure they would not,” Maitimo answered, “So if you allow it, Findekáno may stay. I promise to look after him and bring him home safely tomorrow.”

“Please, Mama, may I stay?” Findekáno asked earnestly.

“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Anairë asked, “When you wake up, get scared and want to run to us, we are not going to be here. Where will you go?”

“I will go to Maitimo,” Findekáno said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and blushed when his parents and cousin laughed.

“Well, if Maitimo does not mind…”

“Not at all.”

“Very well, then,” Anairë said, “You may stay, sweetheart.”

Findekáno let out a cry of joy and hugged Maitimo.

“All right, now that it is settled, can we finally go home?” Maitimo asked.

“Yes,” Findekáno said.

“Thank you.”

Findekáno smiled and rested his head on his cousin’s shoulder. He was sleeping before they reached the house.


End file.
